Bed Bugs Reported at Sheepshead Bay Multiplex

Try not to think about bed bugs next time you watch a movie.

The New York City Health Department received an anonymous report last week about bed bugs at the UA Sheepshead Bay 14 movie theater in Brooklyn. According to the Health Department, managers have hired a pest-control company to investigate. But a spokesperson for Regal Cinemas issued a statement saying, "At Regal, the welfare of our guests and staff is of utmost importance. We have taken all reasonable measures to assure their health and safety and been advised by the environmental professionals that there exists no current health or safety risk for our guests or staff." Feel reassured?

When told of the possible infestation, some moviegoers outside the cinema were creeped out but undaunted; one man tells Fox, "I'm not happy about it, but I guess we'll take our chances. Hopefully they took care of it if there is a problem." This is a man who has not had bed bugs. The fearmongering Fox segment is worth watching, if only for the stock footage of bed bugs in action. Those buggers can move! They're also notoriously resilient, difficult to eradicate, and adept at traveling in clothing. So perhaps Astroboy can wait for Netflix.

In September, John Jay College shut down a building because of a bed bug infestation. This is the first report about bed bugs at a movie theater, but it makes sense, since they like to feed on your blood when the lights are out and you're distracted by sleep or Hilary Swank. Mice and rats have also been observed at other multiplexes around town, and last year we saw a mouse scurrying around at the Union Square Regal Cinemas.